Earnings Tell The Story For Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) As Its Stock Soars 26%

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 26% share price jump in the last month. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 82% in the last year.

Following the firm bounce in price, Howmet Aerospace may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 38.5x, since almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios under 17x and even P/E's lower than 9x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

Recent times have been pleasing for Howmet Aerospace as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. It seems that many are expecting the company to continue defying the broader market adversity, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Howmet Aerospace

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Howmet Aerospace will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Howmet Aerospace's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 78%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 572% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 19% per annum over the next three years. With the market only predicted to deliver 9.9% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

With this information, we can see why Howmet Aerospace is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Bottom Line On Howmet Aerospace's P/E

The strong share price surge has got Howmet Aerospace's P/E rushing to great heights as well. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

As we suspected, our examination of Howmet Aerospace's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Howmet Aerospace that you should be aware of.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Howmet Aerospace. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.